Psychoactive substance use: some associated characteristics

A questionnaire designed to assess the prevalence of psychoactive substance use and its relation with: (a) central nervous system risk factors, (b) associated disorders (allergies, migraine-type headaches, developmental dyslexia history, smoking, suicide attempt, and sleep disorders), and (c) cognitive-type symptoms, was given to a general population sample of 1,879 university students (mean age = 24.0) from Bogotá (Colombia, South America). A prevalence of 3.4% of self-reported psychoactive substance use was found. Results indicated that the incidence of some risk factors of minor brain injury or dysfunction, smoking, suicide attempt, and headache was higher among the self-reported psychoactive substance users than among nonusers. Cognitive-type symptoms, except suicide ideation, did not differ between drug users and nonusers. Current results point to a significant association between psychoactive substance use and depressive symptoms, and there was no significant association between psychoactive substance use and psychotic ideation.